Well, the federation has to send someone. Do You prefer Agnes being held up in 3rd with falls in the SP and FS and a poor international record, or you prefer Christina who has finished 5th four years in a row, and who gets little favor from nationals judges, or Mirai who gets good results internationally, but absolutely no favors from Nationals judges? Apparently you don't mind some getting a PCS gift as long as it isn't Mirai. If it was a clear decision for the third pick, there would be no need for this thread. And as far as Mirai needing to skate well at Nationals to go to Sochi/worlds, that is probably correct. Judging from this past season, others can be held up and go to ISU championship events without skating well at Nationals.

Gao is scored much more harshly at Nationals until now than Nagasu so you switch the little from from National judges and absolutely no favors from National judges around. I agree Nagasu isnt traditionally a favorite of U.S judges, but Gao is much less of one. The only time I thought Nagasu was robbed of anything was 2nd place at Nationals in 2011 where she should have beaten an already washed up Rachel Flatt, one of many poor decisions by the U.S over the years which extended their 2 women only drought. 2010 she lost Nationals due to blatantly correct UR calls so cant question that. For all the howling about her placing at Nationals this year I thought that was completely correct, given that everyone except Gold and Wagner did a virtually clean skate in the top 8 or top 10, and she had numerous glaring errors. In fact I dont even know how she beat Cesario for instance. Gao's 5th place was by far the biggest injustice of Nationals this year. Nagasu's placing given her mistake filled program at the end of a quality event (minus Wagner's troubled LP) shouldnt have even been worth discussing.

The USFSA will send the 3rd place finisher to the Games no matter who it is. The only exception might be if it is a junior skater they dont trust at all, but even that would be silly as any youngster could benefit from the Olympic experience, and it is not like the 3rd U.S lady (whoever it is) is any threat for anything more at the Games than maybe a respectable top 10 or top 12. If Agnes is placed 3rd at Nationals for another poor LP it obviously means the USFSA is still heavy on her bandwagon (for whatever reason) so even more certainly yes she would be sent in that case. If she places top 3 at Nationals with an actual strong performance, all the more reason for the USFSA who loves her for years now to send her. If Gao places 3rd it probably means she skated extremely well (given how she is scored at Nationals past) so yes she would be sent for sure too. The only way Mirai will be sent is if she places 3rd or higher as well.

Gracie for sure, Ashley need to get something as good as Black Swan program, with 3/3, 2A/3T and 6 triples program.

Mirai, but she has to earn it!! IF she didn't earn it, she doesn't deserve it. A bonus would Christina Gao, but I am a bit iffy about her chances and internationally standing without USFA really having a good record of throwing their weight behind her.

She medaled at NHK, but still URd four jumps. She isn't going to do well in a major competition if she can't rotate her jumps. .

You failed to mention that NHK was a head to head competition between Mirai and a current USFSA favorite and contender for a spot in Sochi, Agnes. Mirai medaled with a 176 score, and did score well despite all the UR's you quoted. Agnes, was buried in fifth place, 16 points behind Mirai.

I agree that the top three finishers at US Nat'ls probably will and should go. Only something flukey would change that. I just hope Mirai has that season...if not...oh well, someone else deserves it. Kinda like I wish Sasha had a worlds or oly title, but she never kept all together when it counted most...oh well...

You failed to mention that NHK was a head to head competition between Mirai and a current USFSA favorite and contender for a spot in Sochi, Agnes. Mirai medaled with a 176 score, and did score well despite all the UR's you quoted. Agnes, was buried in fifth place, 16 points behind Mirai.

So that is one competition. Mirai skated the absolute best she is capable of skating now, and at a level she rarely skates to nowadays. Agnes skated quite badly even for her own inconsistent standards. At her previous Grand Prix in a much deeper field she had skated quite well and won a grand prix bronze herself, only 9 points back of Olympic team lock Gold. Nagasu, Zawadzki, and Gao all won a grand prix medal this season, and Gao was the only one who made it to the Grand Prix final (and who cares if she finished last, Nagasu and Zawadzki would finish last in such a field too, none are among the Worlds elite today and would be outclassed by them, but Gao made it somehow, so that is an edge period), so I fail to see Mirai's edge.

So that is one competition. Mirai skated the absolute best she is capable of skating now, and at a level she rarely skates to nowadays. Agnes skated quite badly even for her own inconsistent standards. At her previous Grand Prix in a much deeper field she had skated quite well and won a grand prix bronze herself, only 9 points back of Olympic team lock Gold. Nagasu, Zawadzki, and Gao all won a grand prix medal this season, and Gao was the only one who made it to the Grand Prix final (and who cares if she finished last, Nagasu and Zawadzki would finish last in such a field too, none are among the Worlds elite today and would be outclassed by them, but Gao made it somehow, so that is an edge period), so I fail to see Mirai's edge.

Mirai has talent. She needs to trim down, develop a can-do-will-do mentality, get the best coach in the country and follow his (yep, Frank Carroll's) demands. A tough prescription, but perhaps the only possible road to a national/international success for which she's quite capable. I wish her the best!!

So that is one competition. Mirai skated the absolute best she is capable of skating now, and at a level she rarely skates to nowadays. Agnes skated quite badly even for her own inconsistent standards. At her previous Grand Prix in a much deeper field she had skated quite well and won a grand prix bronze herself, only 9 points back of Olympic team lock Gold. Nagasu, Zawadzki, and Gao all won a grand prix medal this season, and Gao was the only one who made it to the Grand Prix final (and who cares if she finished last, Nagasu and Zawadzki would finish last in such a field too, none are among the Worlds elite today and would be outclassed by them, but Gao made it somehow, so that is an edge period), so I fail to see Mirai's edge.

Actually Pangtongfan, we agree much more than we disagree. We agree that Gao and Nagasu have never been favorites of USFSA judges, and have gotten no favors. We agree that Nagasu will need to finish third, or better to get an Olympic or world assignment. And you also indicate that Agnes might get favorible treatment in a close competition, which I agree with and which I think she already benefitted from in Omaha. I don't think Agnes and certainly not Gao will be around in 2018. As to where Mirai may have some edge, I laid that out in post 94, showing Mirai has a better international record than Gao or Agnes, even after her peak in 2010.

I'd like to see Gracie, Ashley & Angela Wang on the team. But Angela has to learn to skate two good programs in one competition for that to happen.

I would like to see that too. Wang has tons of potential and it would be great experience to go to the Olympics. It's time to look to the future. I'm not sure if Mirai is a part of it same thing with Agnes and Christina. Alissa is done after next season i would think. Next cycle will be skaters like Gracie, Angela Wang, Hannah Miller and Polina Edmunds along with perhaps Leah Keiser and Mariah Bell.

Rachael is done. Czisny probably is too. Hopefully it will bet Gao or Wang. Mirai I think needs to get back to the same physical shape she was in 2010 to be competitive again and get those jumps around, but considering she was 16 at the time, I don't know if that's really possible/likely at this point. She looked in shape this season but to me her build was more like a soccer player than typical figure skater, it's not bad and she certainly is not overweight but unless she can transfer her more powerful build into better speed and more powerful jumps, I don't think it's going to do her any favors and I don't see her getting her technical to the point where she can make the Olympics.